¶ Moreover the word¹ of the LORD came to me, saying,

Go and cry² in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee,³ the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals⁴, when⁵ thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.

Israel was holiness⁶ unto the LORD, and the firstfruits⁷ of his increase: all that⁸ devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.

Hear ye⁹ the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families¹⁰ of the house of Israel:

Thus saith the LORD, What¹¹ iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone¹² far from me, and have walked¹³ after vanity, and are¹⁴ become vain?

Neither said they, Where¹⁵ is the LORD that brought us up¹⁶ out of the land of Egypt, that led us¹⁷ through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow¹⁸ of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt?

And I brought¹⁹ you into a plentiful country²⁰, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination.

The priests²¹ said not, Where is the LORD? and they that²² handle the law knew me not: the pastors²³ also transgressed against me, and the prophets²⁴ prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not²⁵ profit.

¶ Wherefore I will²⁶ yet plead with you, saith the LORD, and with your²⁷ children's children will I plead.

¶ For pass over²⁸ the isles of Chittim, and see; and send unto Kedar²⁹, and consider diligently, and see³⁰ if there be such a thing.

Hath a nation³¹ changed their gods, which are yet no gods³²? but my people have changed their glory³³ for that which doth not profit.

³⁴Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the LORD.

For my³⁵ people have committed two evils; they have forsaken³⁶ me the fountain³⁷ of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns³⁸, that can hold no water.

¶ Is Israel³⁹ a servant? is he a homeborn⁴⁰ slave? why is he spoiled⁴¹?

The young lions⁴² roared upon him, and yelled⁴³, and they made his land waste: his cities⁴⁴ are burned without inhabitant.

Also the⁴⁵ children of Noph⁴⁶ and Tahapanes⁴⁷ have broken the crown⁴⁹ of thy head.

Hast thou⁵⁰ not procured this unto thyself, in that⁵¹ thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, when he⁵² led thee by the way?

And now what hast⁵³ thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor⁵⁴? or what hast⁵⁵ thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?

Thine⁵⁶ own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy⁵⁷ backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter⁵⁸, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my⁵⁹ fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

¶ For of⁶⁰ old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst⁶¹, I will not transgress⁶²; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing⁶³ the harlot.

Yet I⁶⁴ had planted thee a noble vine, wholly⁶⁵ a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate⁶⁶ plant of a strange vine unto me?

For though⁶⁷ thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity⁶⁸ is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD.

How canst⁶⁹ thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see⁷⁰ thy way in the valley⁷¹, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift⁷² dromedary traversing her ways;

A wild ass⁷³ used⁷⁴ to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.

Withhold⁷⁵ thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope⁷⁶: no; for I have⁷⁷ loved strangers, and after⁷⁸ them will I go.

As the thief⁷⁹ is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings⁸⁰, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets,

Saying to a stock⁸¹, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth⁸²: for they have turned their back⁸³ unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.

But where⁸⁴ are thy gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise, if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble⁸⁵: for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.

¶ Wherefore will ye plead⁸⁶ with me? ye all have⁸⁷ transgressed against me, saith the LORD.

¶ In vain⁸⁸ have I smitten your children; they received no correction: your own sword⁸⁹ hath devoured your prophets, like a destroying lion.

O generation, see ye⁹⁰ the word of the LORD. Have I been⁹¹ a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords⁹²; we will come no more unto thee?

Can a maid⁹³ forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people⁹⁴ have forgotten me days without number.

Why⁹⁵ trimmest thou thy way to seek love? therefore hast⁹⁶ thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways.

Also⁹⁷ in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I⁹⁸ have not found it by secret search⁹⁹, but upon all these.

Yet thou sayest, Because¹⁰⁰ I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will¹⁰¹ plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.

Why gaddest¹⁰² thou about so much to change thy way? thou also shalt¹⁰³ be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast¹⁰⁴ ashamed of Assyria.

Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands¹⁰⁵ upon thine head: for the LORD¹⁰⁶ hath rejected thy confidences, and thou¹⁰⁷ shalt not prosper in them.